The Lakers are in the playoffs, and thats no big surprise. The surprise has been that they were matched up with the number 7 New Orleans Hornets, who are missing their best scorer (David West) they’re best point guard had been hurt for most of the season (Chris Paul) and they have a team full of at best, first guys off the bench. Somehow though they managed to take game 1, and game 4, much the chagrin of the Laker faithful. I’ve personally been indifferent to the series so far, but i don’t know if i’m just not worried about the Hornets, or that i’m just waiting to they get to the finals to really care again.
All season long the Lakers have played inconstantly and only got on a roll after allstar break when they went 18-1 that got capped off by another losing streak. Kobe has been about 60% of what you expect of him, and Pau had reverted back to his style his first year in LA.
Last night’s game was different. Kobe coming off his sprained ankle from game 4, played without a limp, while the Pau and the Gang decided to show up and actually push around the inferior team that they were playing against. Kobe looked young again on at least a dozen plays, actually dunking the ball twice and getting to the rim a few other times. It was a great game by him, but i worry that it will be just a one time performance and we end up watching him struggle for the rest of the playoffs.
The rest of the team you get pretty excited about while watching with Blake and Barnes hounding the guards on the perimeter, and Bynum and Odom controlling the paint. I can’t wait till the utizile Bynum more and more, because he’s getting so much better being around the rim getting off quality shots and not ones where he’s being pushed away from the rim. The only player that worries me is Shannon Brown because his outside shot isn’t what it was at the beginning of the season, and his play has been much more erratic when he’s the lead guard. Hopefully his mind calms down and he plays inside the triangle.
